Load binding device comprising winch means and equalizer means



March 15, 1966 R. .1. COFFEY ETAL 3,240,473

LOAD BINDING DEVICE COMPRISING WINCH MEANS AND EQUALIZER MEANS Filed001.. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS RALPH J COFFEY ALFRED M.ROBERTS ATTO RNEYS March 15, 1966 R. .1. COFFEY ET 3,240,473

LOAD BINDING DEVICE COMPRISIN INCH MEANS AND EQUALIZER MEANS Filed Oct.12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

RA 3'. COFFEY BY AL D M. ROBERTS Z 6, mm

ATTORN EYS United States Patent LOAD BINDING DEVICE COMPRISING WINCHMEANS AND EQUALIZER MEANS Ralph J. Coffey and Alfred M. Roberts, York,Pa. (both American Chain & Cable Co., Inc., 230 Park Ave, New York,N.Y.)

Filed Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 403,112 8 Claims. (Cl. 254-161) Thisinvention relates to binding devices for securing loads to a supportand, more particularly, to a binding device having a novel wincharrangement for controlling the wind-up of a cable which secures theload.

In the transportation and storage of many containers and bulk goods, theload rests on and is lashed by cables to various forms of support, suchas flat-bed trucks, pallets, railway flat cars and so on. It is oftennecessary to insure that the cables are initially tightened to aparticular preload in a manner such that they cannot later loosen andallow the load to shift. Binding by means of cables is also common inother fields, as for example in millwrighting, rigging of structuralsteel and machinery handling, and in oil well, maritime, mining andmilitary operations. In many instances this is a procedure which must berepeated often, as in the loading and unloading of trucks, and thereforeit should not demand great effort and time. Since various turnbuckle andtoggle arrangements and the like presently used to tighten load-bindingcables do not satisfy all these requirements, the present invention hasas its object the provision of a compact binding device which can bereadily operated at an accessible location on the load support to lashcables securely over the load in a controlled manner such that the loadis not crushed and the lashing is not broken or stretched excessively.It is especially adapted for us ewith flat-bed trucks because of theease by which it can apply and release the cables and be stored with thetruckers other hand tools when not in use.

Broadly stated, the binding device of the invention for securing a loadto a support on which the load is to rest comprises a body and means forattaching the body to the support. Extending through the :body is ashaft on which a rotatable winch member is concentrically mounted. TheWinch member is formed with a pair of circumferential helical grooves ofopposite hand at its respective end portions and with a circumferentialgear between the grooves. A pair of cables are secured at one end in therespective grooves and are adapted to be wound up in the grooves whenthe winch member is rotated. Means are provided for holding the cableswith respect to the support at their ends remote from the winch memberto tighten the cables in securing relation to the load when the winchmember is rotated. Rotatably mounted in the body is a drive gear inmeshing engagement with the circumferential gear on the winch member.Means are included for rotating the winch member through the drive gear.

One important feature of this device is the winch member formed with apair of circumferential helical grooves of opposite hand at itsrespective end portions and with the circumferential gear between thegrooves. An advantage of great significance which is possesses is thatit winds up two runs of a cable instead of one and allows the use ofsmaller diameter cable for exerting a given binding force, and this inturn permits a reduction in the diameter of the Winch member which isthe primary factor in the size and cost of the entire device. Noasymmetrical bending moments are exacted on the shaft supporting thewinch member because the drive gear acts at the center of the winchmember and the cable can 3,246,473 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 "ice applyequal forces to each side of and equidistant from that center. Also,this is achieved without wrapping one convolution of the cables over thenext when they are wound up, which otherwise imposes unnecessarystresses on the cables, because the turns of the wound cables aredirected by the grooves alongside one another in a single layer. Yeteven with this feature the assembly is no larger or heavier than most ofthe other small devices with which it may :be stored in the toolcompartment of the truck when not in use.

A preferred embodiment of the binding device is de scribed hereinbelowwith reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is anelevation of a fiat bed truck supporting a load which is secured bymeans of the new device;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the body of the device andits associated parts;

FIG. 3 is a section partly broken away and taken along the line 33 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 3A is a fragmentary extension of FIG. 3 showing the pulley meansfor equalizing the load on the winch member;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section partly broken away taken alongthe line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 5-5 ofFIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 2.

The flatbed 10 of the truck shown in FIG. 1 has brackets 11 and 12secured to its opposite edges to receive lashing means which secures aload 13 to the bed 10. Releasably attached to the bracket 11 is asubstantially hollow body 15 from which a flange 16 extends as shown inFIGS. 2 and 6. The flange 16 is adapted to several modes of attachment.For example, weldable steel inserts 17 are aflixed in respective holes18 to provide elements by which the flange 16 (which may be of low-costrelatively non-weldable pearlitic malleable iron) can be welded inoperating position. Ears 19 formed with a hole 20 permit the flange tobe rotatably pinned about one axis, and a hole 21 permits it to bepinned in the alternative about a perpendicular axis.

One end of the body 15 is closed by an integral east end wall 23 and theother by a cap 24. Concentric holes are formed in the center of the endwall 23 and cap 24 of the body 15 and a bolt shaft 25 extends throughthem. in fixed relation to the body by means of a head 27 and nut 28 onopposite ends of the shaft. A substantially cylindrical winch member 29is formed with a central hole through which the shaft 25 extends closelybut in a freely rotatable manner. On one end portion of the winch member29 is a helical groove 30 of substantially semi-circular cross sectionand short pitch, and on the other end of the winch member 29 is anothergroove 31 which is similar to the groove 30 in all respects except thatit is opposite in hand. Between the helical grooves 30 and 31 is acircumferential worm gear 32 formed integrally about the center of thewinch member 29. To provide the highest possible strength for a givensize of the worm gear 32, its teeth are cut integrally in part of anenlarged portion of the winch member 29 and the sides 33 of thatenlarged portion are left intact to reinforce the ends of the teeth ofthe gear 32. Ordinary worm gear teeth would be entirely upstanding andwould not be nearly as strong as those shown in FIG. 3 which aresupported by the sides 33 of the winch member enlarged portion.

A stranded cable 34 by which term is meant wire rope chain, fibrousrope, wire, or any other suitable line extends at its opposite endsthrough a longitudinal slot 35 formed in the body 15 as shown in FIGS. 2and 3 on the side of the body nearest the load 13 when the body ismounted on the bracket 11 of the truck. One end of the cable 33 extendstangentially into the end of the groove 30 remote from thecircumferential worm gear 32 and it is securely anchored in a reliablemanner, as for example by being zinc-potted in a socket 36 at the end ofthe groove 30 and clamped in place by one or more set screws 37. Theother end of the stranded cable 33 extends through the slot 35 into theend of the other groove 31 in thesame tangential relation with respectto the winch member 29 as the first-mentioned end of the cable. This endof the cable is also anchored in place by suitable means, such as in asocket 38 and one or more set screws 39. As described above it ishelpful to prebend and enclose in ferrules the extremities of the cable33 which are anchored in these sockets. Also, the interior of the hollowbody should be sized to prevent the cable 33 from escaping its groovesbut must not bind the cable so that it would buckle when being extended.The completed sub-assembly of the winch member 29 and cable 34 may beslipped into the body 15 and held in place by the cap 24 with the cable34 passing through the slot 35.

In this preferred embodiment of the invention, means are also providedto prevent over-travel of the winch member 29 in either direction.Formed in the facedoff end of the winch member 29 opposed to the cap 24is a straight slot 40 of semi-circular cross section shown in FIGS.- 3and 4. It is disposed radially with respect to the winch member axis. Inthe opposed inner face of the cap 24 a spiral groove 41 of similar crosssection is formed and where the two grooves cross one another theydefine a space of circular cross section in which is located a ball 42.When the winch member 29 is turned in a clockwise direction as shown inFIG. 4 to unwind the cable 34, over-travel is prevented when the ball 42is carried by the spiral slot 41 to the outer end of the straight slot40. When the winch member 29 turns counterclockwise in FIG. 4 to wind upthe cable 34, over-travel is similarly prevented when the ball 42reaches the inner end of the slot 40.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the cable 33 runs over a pulley 43 in a block 44which is spaced from the body 15- before the cable is taken up. Theblock 44 is formed with a hole 45 to receive a clevis or hook assembly(indicated generally as 46 in FIG. 1) at the end of a lashing 47extending over the load 13 on the truck. The lashing 43 is attachable tothe remote bracket 12 by means of another hook assembly 48 as shown inFIG. 1. It is the function of the block 44 to equalize the forcesexerted by the two ends of the cable 33 on the winch member 29 when theload 13 is secured as described below.

Projecting from one side of the body 15 is a rectangular hollow portion49 of the body in which a longitudinal worm gear 50 is rotatably mountedin meshing engagement with the circumferential worm gear 32 about anaxis perpendicular to that of the circumferential worm gear. Acylindrical end portion 51 extending from the longitudinal worm gear 50is journalled in a corresponding bore in the body 15, and the oppositeend portion extending from the longitudinal worm gear 46 is covered by asealing stop-disc 52 which is held by a pin 53 in the body. A squareshaft 54 extends from the cylindrical portion 51 of the longitudinalworm gear 50 exteriorly with respect to the body 15 to receive aremovable hand or power crank 55 as shown in FIG. 1 by which thelongitudinal worm gear 50 may be rotated.

In use, the binding device of the invention may have its body 15attached to the bracket 11 by a suitable pin inserted through the hole20. Because of its compact and somewhat elongated shape shown in FIG. 2,the device may be mounted and operated in rather confined spaces. Thelashing 47 may be of a length about a half a foot or so longer thannecessary to be cast over the load 13 and to have its hook fitting 48attached to the bracket 12 on the opposite side of the truck bed 10. Theother hook fitting 46 is attached to the block 44 when the lashing 47 isloose. The crank 55 is then attached to the Square shaft 54 andthelongitudinal worm gear 50 is rotated in a clockwise direction asshown in FIG. 3. This causes the winch member 29 to be rotated in aclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 2, and with considerable mechanicaladvantage it winds the ends of the cable 33 in the respective grooves 30and 31 progressively toward one another and the center of the winchmember. The bending moments exerted in this manner on the shaft 25 bythe supporting end wall 23 and cap 24 of the body, the longitudinal wormgear 50 and the two ends of the cable 33 are perfectly symmetrical abouta transverse axis midway between the ends of the shaft 25 as it appearsin FIG. 3. Consequently, many stresses are relieved from the devicewhich otherwise might appreciably shorten its operating life. Also, oneconvolution after another of the ends of the cable 33 are laid in therespective grooves 30 and 31 without changing this optimum balance ofbending moments and without subjecting one another to compressivefatigue as they would if they overlaid one another.

When the lashing 47 is tightened securely down onto the load 13, thecrank 55 is removed and the operation is completed. In most instances,the meshing engagement between the longitudinal and circumferential wormgears 50 and 32 is self-locking, but it is quite advantageous tosupplement this by forming the inner surface of the hollow body portion49 such that it engages a great part of the helical crown of thelongitudinal worm gear 50 in a tight but sliding frictional fit. Thisinsures that the cable 33 does not loosen under severe vibrations orother extraordinary operating conditions. Unloading is carried outsimply by rotating the crank 55 so that it turns the longitudinal wormgear 50 in counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3, therebyunwinding the cable 33 and permitting the hook fitting 48 to bedet-ached from the bracket 12 on the other side of the truck bed 10. Thebody 15 may then be removed from the brakcet 11 and together with itscable, block and crank, it may be stored in the tool compartment of thetruck until required for further use.

Though the following claims define the invention in its use as a loadbinder, it is to be understood that they are intended to cover any otherappropriate use where tension is to be applied and maintained on a line.

We claim:

1. A device for tensioning cab-1e means with respect to a supportcomprising a body, means for attaching said body to said support, ashaft extending through said body, a rotatable winch memberconcentrically mounted on said shaft and formed with a pair ofcircumferential helical grooves of opposite hand at its respective endportions and with a circumferential gear between said grooves, saidcable means being secured in the respective grooves and adapted to bewound up in said grooves when said winch member is rotated, a drive gearrotatably mounted in said body in meshing engagement with saidcircumferential gear on the winch member, and means for rotating saidwinch member through said drive gear.

2. A binding device according to claim 1 wherein said cable means aresecured in the ends of the respective grooves remote from saidcircumferential gear, and said means for rotating said winch member areadapted to rotate it in a direction causing said cable means to be woundup in said grooves toward the circumferential gear.

3. A binding device according to claim 1 wherein said cable meanscomprises a single cable secured at its opposite ends in said respectivegrooves.

4. A binding device for securing a load to a support on which the loadis to rest comprising a hollow body, means for releasably attaching saidbody to said support, a fixed shaft extending through said body, asubstantially cylindrical winch member rotatably mounted concentricallyon said shaft within said body and formed with a pair of circumferentialhelical grooves of substantially semi-circular cross section andopposite hand at its respective end portions and with a circumferentialworm gear between said grooves at the center of said winch member, acable secured at its opposite ends in the ends of the respective groovesremote from said circumferential gear and adapted to be wound up in saidgrooves toward the circumferential gear when said winch member isrotated, a pulley and block through which said cable extends for holdingsaid cable with respect to said support in securing relation to saidload when said winch member is rotated, and for equalizing the forces onthe ends of the cable, a longitudinal worm gear rotatably mounted insaid body in meshing engagement with said circumferential worm gearabout an axis perpendicular to that of said circumferential worm gear,said longitudinal worm gear being in frictional sliding engagement withsaid body about part of its circumference, and means exterior to saidbody for rotating said winch member through said longitudinal worm gear.

5. A device for tensioning cable means with respect to a supportcomprising a body, means for attaching said body to said support, ashaft extending through said body, a rotatable winch memberconcentrically mounted on said shaft and formed with a pair ofcircumferential helical grooves of opposite hand at its respective endportions and with a circumferential worm gear between said grooves, saidcable means being secured in the respective grooves and adapted to bewound up in said grooves when said winch member is rotated, alongitudinal worm drive gear rotatably mounted in said body about anaxis transverse to that of said circumferential worm gear and d inmeshing engagement with said circumferential worm gear on the winchmember, and means for rotating said winch member through said drivegear.

6. A binding device according to claim 5 wherein said longitudinal wormgear is in sliding engagement with said body about part of itscircumference.

7. A binding device according to claim 5 which includes a pulley andblock through which said cable means extends, said block equalizing theforces on the ends of the cable means when said cable is tightened insecuring relation to the load.

8. A binding device according to claim 5 which includes a first slotformed in one end of the winch member radially with respect to the winchmember axis, a second slot formed spirally with respect to the Winchmember axis in a surface of the body opposed to the first slot, saidsecond slot crossing said firs-t slot, and a ball located in and movablewith the intersection of said slots, whereby overtravel of the winchmember is prevented when the ball reaches one end of one of the slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,828,290 10/1931Moon 254-161 X 1,984,604 12/1934 Stahl 254184 2,370,834 3/1945 Ball254l84 3,032,308 5/1961 Hansen 254184 X 3,101,927 8/1963 Gray 254-1613,162,921 12/1964 Cheris 24-274 FOREIGN PATENTS 191,527 1/1923 GreatBritain.

0 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR TENSIONING CABLE MEANS WITH RESPECT TO A SUPPORTCOMPRISING A BODY, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID BODY TO SAID SUPPORT, ASHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY, A ROTATABLE WINCH MEMBERCONCENTRICALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND FORMED WITH A PAIR OFCIRCUMFERENTIAL HELICAL GROOVES OF OPPOSITE HAND AT ITS RESPECTIVE ENDPORTIONS AND WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GEAR BETWEEN SAID GROOVES, SAIDCABLE MEANS BEING SECURED IN THE RESPECTIVE GROOVES AND ADAPTED TO BEWOUND UP IN SAID GROOVES WHEN SAID WINCH MEMBER IS ROTATED, A DRIVE GEARROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BODY IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAIDCIRCUMFERENTIAL GEAR ON THE WINCH MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAIDWINCH MEMBER THROUGH SAID DRIVE GEAR.